Inception meeting

Addis Ababa, 7-8 May 2012

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The workshop objectives are to:

• Review briefly the barriers to uptake of improved feed strategies in Ethiopia
• To work out how using a livelihoods lens can help to target and scale out interventions more effectively.
• Review the approaches, methods and tools (FEAST, Techfit, VCA, etc) required to design and operationalize feed interventions that work.
• Agree roles, responsibilities and the timetable for the implementation of the study; and,
• Develop a communications strategy to ensure that the outputs of the study best reach their different audiences

Day 1

Time	Topic	Responsible
08.30	Registration
09.00	Welcome remarks - File:Introduction to Africa RISING.pptx	Alan Duncan
09:10	Ice breaker and introductions/expectations File:quickfeeds_expectations.doc	Peter Ballantyne
09:30	Introduction to the project [presentation]	Alan Duncan
10:00	Barriers to uptake of improved feeding strategies [presentation]	Werner Stur
10:30	Coffee
10:45	Introducing and discussing the tools: FEAST, Techfit, Value chain analysis. Short presentations followed by bus stop format FEAST (Jane Wamatu) [presentation] Techfit (Adugna Tolera) [presentation] VCA (Getachew Legesse) [presentation] Points arising from the conversations: VCA: * Can it be simplified? - yes * Is it a must to do 2 value chains - specific commodity and feed? * Do we need to do quantitative surveys? * Can we recommend technologies to adopt by producers using VCA? * Who is the right person to do VCA? * How doyou capture the temporal dynamics in VCA? * How can we link VCA with the other tools being used? * Do we need VCA if we do FEAST? TechFit: * How do the three tools interact? * How well does the pre-filter work for future changes/scenario's? * Who defines the attributes? Are there others? * How well does the tool address longer-term environmental consequences resulting from the use of a certain technology? * What do you do if feed is not the 'top' constraint? FEAST: * Why is landholding a preferred criterion? why not others like age or gender? * Should more PRA's be done per Kebele, to make results more representative? * Should both the PRA and structured questionnaires be done? or can one or the other be used? * FEAST does not seem to use the widest range of PRA techniques	Peter Ballantyne
11:45	Site presentations outlining key elements of livestock value chain and current feeding strategies Sinane - small ruminants (Dawit Abate from Sinane) [presentation] Horro - small ruminants (Gemeda Duguma from Bako) [presentation] Arsi Highlands - dairy (Mesay Yami from Kulumsa) [presentation]	Peter Ballantyne
12:45	Lunch
14:00	An overall framework for the project - how do livelihood endowments affect promising feeding strategies? [presentation]	Peter Thorne by skype
15:00	Tea/coffee
15:30	Group work to elaborate on project framework presented by Peter Some of the main areas/issues raised by participants today on the presentations were: # How many households or farmers to be included? # Who identifies the indicators (community or key informants) – latter was suggested as a speeding up of the process # Much concern about farmers not having time to engage in lengthy exercises # How does the process precisely work – on the ground? Meet community, then individual surveys, then…? What’s required of the farmers? # How will the ranking be done? # How can we modify/simplify for the limited time available? # Can it be done in the time available? # Need simple and quick questions # What capacities/skills would the team need to do this?	Werner Stur
16:45	Day 1 wrap up	Alan Duncan
17:00	Close

Day 2

Time	Topic	Responsible
09:00	Reflection on Day 1
09:30	Site selection - site selection - the story so far	Aynalem Haile
10:00	Tea/Coffee
10:30	Plenary agreement of workplans and timetables File:Activity plan for Quick Feeds May 8 2012.doc	Werner Stur
12:30	Lunch
13:30	Next steps, roles and responsibilities, expectations, financial arrangements	Alan Duncan
15:00	Tea/coffee
15:30	Wrap up	Alan Duncan
16:00	Close

Participants

Peter Ballantyne (ILRI - present Day 1) Peter Thorne (ILRI - present Day 2?) Getachew Legesse (value chain expert) Adugna Tolera (feed expert) Gemeda Duguma (Horro sheep expert) Dagnachew Lule (Bako) Dawit Abate from OARI (OARI Livestock Director) Getnet Assefa (EIAR Livestock Director) Adefris Teklwold (EIAR Crop Director) Dawit Alemu (Sinane feed expert) Sultan Osman (Sinane socio-economic expert) Karto Kaske (Kulumsa feed expert) Mesay Yami Gurmu (Kulumsa socio-economic expert) Alemyhu Kumsa (Bako feed expert) Baysa Gedefa (Bako socio-economic expert) Gemeda Duguma (Horro sheep expert; Bako) Aberra Adie (ILRI) Christopher Legg (IFPRI) Abate Tedla (ILRI forage consultant) Werner Stur (ILRI feed value chain consultant) Aynalem Haile (ICARDA) Jane Wamatu (ICARDA) Geletu Bejiga (ICARDA) Amare Haileslassie (ILRI) Diego Valbuena (ILRI) Alan Duncan (ILRI)